I am slamming through Game Change by John Heilmann and Mark Halperin like a hot knife through butter. Not only are they telling a great story, they are making extraordinary use of language. I like nothing better than sitting in my favorite spot on the sofa with the dictionary close by to look up luscious+ Read More

Dylan had been bringing various selections from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney as his assigned reading (AR) homework for months. Short of skimming the front covers, I had no idea what they were about, only that they were devoured quickly, which pleased me greatly. Last night, I took both boys+ Read More

I was sitting at the computer in the family study, uploading hundreds of pictures from last month’s Starfish Circus camp to our family photo site (http://russellthomas.phanfare.com/), as Ben quietly began work on a drawing at the desk behind me. “This is going to be for Tiffany,” he said. “I’ll give it to her the next+ Read More

My incredible staff gave me a wonderful card as congratulations for winning the Wood Buffalo Big Spirit Ambassador Gold Star Award. Inside the card was a gift certificate for Coles. I cannot think of a nicer thing to receive than a chance to do a shopping spree in a bookstore. So, last night Dylan, Ben+ Read More

I’m addicted to technology. There, I’ve said it. I know I’m not alone. I’m addicted to online access. When it disappears or refuses me entry, I begin to tremble. I definitely know I’m not alone. My six year old son Ben was trying to get into his profile at poptropica.com and no matter what password+ Read More

Shortly after four this morning I watched the Albuquerque Sunport (airport) come alive. What began as a smattering of souls turned into a bustling departure lounge as a series of flights made ready for 6 am journeys to Fresno, Atlanta and San Francisco. I must have been pretty zonked because I barely remember the first+ Read More

I’ve grown into a whole lot of things in my 42 years of life, but a shopper is not one of those things. My goodness, I got perfectly dizzy going from one store to the next in the Old Town district of Albuquerque today. Old Town is a relatively short walk from the Hyatt Regency,+ Read More

New York Times technology columnist and best-selling author David Pogue was flying over the Atlantic on Saturday night while the worst wind storm in memory bashed the east coast. He arrived home in Connecticut to find trees toppled and power lines dangling here, there and everywhere. Without power, heat or hot water for three full+ Read More

The District 7 gang at the NCMPR conference funneled onto a tour bus and headed north through the quiet and poor neighborhoods of suburban Albuquerque. Small houses, some adobe some not, lined the subdued streets complete with barren looking yards and late model vehicles. The group consisted of members from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British+ Read More

Walking around downtown Albuquerque on a Sunday morning reminded me of our early morning walks in Rome a few years ago: quiet, subdued, street cleaners methodically picking up the trash from Saturday night, vagrants trying to catch my eye. This is the “Duke City” where the new west meets the old west, where Mexico becomes+ Read More